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W.S. Composit a finalist in state business contest

> Economic Development for Central Oregon has announced that Warm Springs Composite Products and Structus Building Technologies were selected as finalists for the Manufacturing Company of the Year contest, held by the Portland Business Journal. EDCO nominated the two companies and prepared the award submissions, working closely with the two companies. Awards were presented Oct. 25, at a luncheon in Portland. Structus placed in the medium-sized company category ($10-$50 million in revenue) and Warm Springs Composite Products in the small-sized company category (under $10 million in revenue). Warm Springs Composite Products is a Native American-owned manufacturer with a considerable international business base (38 percent). It attributes its success to a sophisticated product development strategy focused on adding value to its base products in order to create new ones. The company makes fire-rated building components; specialized wood products; composite ballistic panels used on marine vessels, land-based tactical vehicles and military aircraft; and industrial composites used in aerospace and transportation. Structus Building Technologies was nominated for its product innovations, world class operations, and unique sales techniques. The company uses a "business results" selling approach that helps customers understand how higher-priced Structus products actually help them make money. The newest products Structus offers are a quickly installed drywall corner and an automated corner machine. Known in Central Oregon as one of the first manufacturers to fully adopt lean manufacturing techniques, Structus' culture is one of continuous improvement throughout its operations. While raw material costs have increased dramatically, the company has successfully kept its costs to customers the same for five years and grown sales by 40 percent. The entire lineup of the 2012 finalists included: Large category: Craft Brew Alliance which includes Widmer Bros. Brewing, Leatherman Tool Group, Reser's Fine Foods. Medium category: Cadet Manufacturing Co., Korvis, Structus Building Technologies. Small category: AmFor Electronics, Gamblin Artists Colors Co., Warm Spring Composite Products. Excellence in Training: ESCO Corp. Product Innovation: Nike, Inc.